The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-21
BILL 2O3.


and News, which he brings down, stood
Tomtit Bailey, who is left futtering.
From focking together in defense of Green
Smiths usurpation during. the session, the
Sentinel and News joined in attacking Speaker
Sayre at the end Of it. The charge was that
he had ignored the deadlock, and violated
the Republican compact for specific purpose,
but held to it for other purposes to the pre-
vention of needed legislation. The specifca-
ton was that he signed Senate bill No 2O3
on the last night of the legislative session
and caused it to be taken, or consented it
should be taken, to Green Smith, who signed
| it as President of the Senate, and, being then
signed by the Governor, it became law.
The Sentinel in stating the alleged fact, said:
eff Speaker Sayre could be so accommodate
| ing in SO small matter, the people will want
him to explain why he did not permit the
loan and appropriation bills to go through
| in a similar fashion" The News, falling
| in behind the Sentinel, said: HE 1.-THE
| Speaker and his allies had to recognize Mr..
Smiths position as de facto President Of the
Senate to make his signature to that bill
Of any more significance than an ink blot on
his table" and added, Ellis 1.-THE Speaker's]
signature to that bill settles the question of
responsibility for the failure of legislation"
Thus the two organs of the usurpation.
| Speaker Sayre's statement unsettles their
settlement of the case and blows them both
out of water. The gist of the original charge
/ lay in the statement that, after signing bill
No. 2O3, he consented to its being taken to
Green Smith for his signature. The Speaker
| says this is a lie. He never consented that
| the bill should be taken to Smith for his
signature. AS the lie had only one leg to
stand on, and as MIR. Sayres fiat footed denial
breaks that, all the airy unveracious castles
that were built upon it come tumbling down.
But the Speaker goes little further
and shows how the lie originated
This is the shot that hits Bailey. Bill 2O3
came to the House ON Feb. 81, before the
deadlock was established. It was the policy
of the House to finally act on every bill that
came from the Senate prior to the deadlock,
and it had acted on all but No. 2O3 This
had been accidentally overlooked Senator
Bailey was interested in its passage. He had
it enrolled in the House and took it to the
Speaker and asked him to sign it. ~ declined
! ~
said to him, he would carry it to Green Smith
for his signature. He assured me, upon his
honor as a man, that he would not, but would
take it with my signature alone to the Gov
ernor Upon that promise from Bailey,
signed it, just as l had signed every Senate
bill that passed the House after the deadlock y
Now, the question arises, who did take the
bill to Green Smith for his signature? the
Speaker expressly stipulated that the
bill, after he signed it, should not be
taken to Green Smith, and Senator Bailey
assured him con his honor as a man" that ii
should not be. With this understanding and
assurance, the Speaker signed it, Yet the
bill bears Smiths signature, showing that il
: was taken to him after Senator Bailey had
) assured the Speaker ION his honor as a man
that it should not be. This leaves the Bailey
bird in decidedly futtering condition As
Speaker Sayre says, eff the Sentinel speaks
from information. then the informer who
: must have been Bailey, lies But if Bailey
! | L111 Il - Al
, lies"
For the rest, the Speakers statement shows
that his position and that of the Republican
majority in the House were in perfect har
mony at all points. They were agreed as t,
the deadlock, and are still. So are the Re
publicans throughout the State. The cours
Of the Republicans before and after the dead
lock was perfectly consistent, and their posi-
ton was and is impregnable. So long Al
Colonel Robertson was under a restraining
order of the Marion Circuit Court the Hous
recognized Green Smith as de facto Presiden
, of the Senate for the purposes of legislation
When the Supreme Court dissolved the in
junction against Colonel Robertson, AM
restored him to the official right
and title derived from the people
and he demanded the presiding officer
chair, in that instant Green Smitl
became usurper, and Republicans woul,
have violated their constitutional oaths b.
!. recognizing him. From that moment th
House rightly refused to hold any officia
that passed the Senate before the deadlock
Q including No. 2O3 were acted on by tn